RIP: Ryan August of I Want Your Skull

Posted on Jul 13, 2010

I am very to sad to write that on Saturday, July 11th, Ryan August, the creator of the always inspirational website I Want Your Skull, passed away. I first met Ryan back in 2007 when I decided to start the Creep Machine. I had little idea of what I was doing, let alone what I was going to do to keep the site here for the long run. I Want Your Skull is one of those sites I wish I had made, i’m sure many feel that way, and I decided to model the Creep Machine on Ryan’s creation. I became a die-hard fan when I e-mailed Ryan to ask some questions, and not only was he open to answer every one, but you could tell that he just really loved art. While many other art sites are created and then fade away, I Want Your Skull was always there and it prodded me to keep going, being the sole writer such as Ryan was can get very tough sometimes. The longevity of I Want Your Skull, and the printed zines he worked so hard to bring us every year, was testament to the love of art Ryan had.

As long as I Want Your Skull has been going, Ryan always had a link to the Creep Machine on it, as well as on his own portfolio site (here) right under the title “inspiration”. I feel happy that my little site was an inspiration to him, as his site was such an inspiration to me. My thoughts go out to Ryan’s wife Sarah and their son Declan. Thanks again Ryan for creating the best skull related art site on the web, and for never giving up on it.

Josh is the creator and administrator of the Creep Machine. He started the website in 2007 while attending college for a degree in Art History. Along with studying the Renaissance, Baroque, and Sublime periods, he was also very interested in contemporary art. The dark, beautiful, and grotesque has inspired him, along with figurative, street art, photography, and pop culture driven art. When he is not researching art, he can be found working on his own artistic endeavors, curating an art show, or creating electronic music.

I just found out what happened and it kicked me in the gut. I’ve been swapping mails with him for a few years and he has always been so cool and supportive. I have a lot of respect for what he was doing and how friendly and professional he was. He will be missed for sure.